superfitbabe

A Christmas-themed dessert AND brunch. Incredibly last minute because…I’m in JAPAN!

For years and years, I have always wanted to travel to Tokyo, Japan, and after seven years of wishful thinking, my dream came true. My family and I have taken a trip to Tokyo and Kyoto to explore both tourist and local lifestyles. It’s been one of my favorite abroad trips by far, but there is so much to talk about that I could write a novel. However, I’ll restrict that to another series of posts. Stay tuned for that, but meanwhile, let’s get into these donuts.

Okay, so I wouldn’t consider these the most indulgent donuts you’ll find. Many call for vegan butter, oil, and a lot of sugar. Before coming to Tokyo, I wanted to put my donut pan as well as my Lakanto pancake & waffle mix to good use. Here is where this idea comes to play: a delicious recipe with versatility yet simplicity. Oh yeah, and it better taste like Christmas.

If you are a last-minute person like I am in the case of publishing holiday-themed blog posts, then this recipe is for you. Not only can you customize most of the ingredients, but you can also use the batter for other pastries, such as cake, cupcakes, loaves, or even pancakes and waffles (no surprise there)! They are perfect for any occasion!

Oh yeah, and the frosting is totally optional, but I made mine completely out of vegan protein powder, cinnamon, Stevia, water, and beetroot powder! Of course, you can substitute for a powdered sugar glaze simply by mixing powdered sugar, softened vegan butter, and your plant milk of choice. Measurements for this will vary depending on how much you need to use. This link provides a good sugar glaze procedure for you to follow.

RECIPE (donuts)

• 1/2 cup flour of choice
• 1 TBSP chia seeds or ground flax
• 2 TBSP cacao powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp powdered Stevia or 1/4 cup mashed banana, pumpkin, or applesauce
  • If using regular sugar, convert 1 tsp to 2 TBSP regular granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1/2-2/3 cup plant milk of choice or water

RECIPE (glaze)

• 1 scoop vegan protein powder of choice
• 2 tsp beetroot powder
• 1 tsp Stevia
• Enough water or plant milk to create a thick frosting and glaze consistency
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Combine all dry ingredients from the donut recipe in a bowl.
3. Carefully mix in the wet ingredients into the dry.
4. Stir until the batter is thick and there are little to no clumps.
5. Spray a donut pan if necessary (mine was plastic so it did not need spray).
6. Gently spoon the batter into each donut incision. Alternatively, you can use a frosting piper or cut a large hole at a corner of a Ziploc bag, place the batter inside the bag, and squeeze the batter into each cavity.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the donuts are completely cooked.
8. Let cool completely and make the frosting.
9. For the frosting, add the vegan protein powder, cinnamon, and water together in a bowl or large mug. Stir until a frosting consistency is reached.
10. Take another mug or bowl and place around a little more than half of the frosting inside.
11. Stir beetroot powder into this new frosting.
12. Add more water into the original frosting to create the glaze.
13. Once the donuts are completely cool, frost the donuts and drizzle with the glaze.
14. Garnish with optional (but highly recommended!) gingerbread granola and serve.

Merry Christmas!